Common mistakes when working with printing

If you're just getting started with printing, placing an order can be a daunting task. Choosing the wrong option or ignoring typographical design requirements can lead to unpleasant consequences, wasted time and resources. Check out this small guide that will help you avoid the most common mistakes.

Take into account all the “little things”

Sometimes an inexperienced designer concentrates on the visual component, ignoring the layout as a whole. Let's say you are designing a folder - you need to create a sketch of its dimensions, cutting out the edges, folding points, and mark the places where the pockets for business cards or CDs, if they are planned.

It is possible to develop a design directly only taking into account all the features, otherwise there is a risk that elements of images or text will fall into the cutting, folding zone, or even be completely sealed. Try not to place important components on the edges - leave at least 5 mm to compensate for possible inaccurate cutting.

At this same stage it is worth thinking about the future finishing - this is also a common mistake for beginners. Provide separate layers and use a contrasting color for them to signal the typography.

Don't forget about attractiveness

If you don’t have enough experience, entrust the creation of the design itself to a professional - a freelancer or a printing house employee. They understand composition and will help you choose fonts and the optimal color scheme.

Most boring “handouts” are thrown away before reading - don’t make the mistake of skimping on this aspect. For advertising products, an attractive appearance and original design are very important, which will stand out against the background of similar products from competitors.

If you have a limited budget, use Design Exchange - By voicing your requirements on a special platform, you can choose the best offer to suit your taste and budget. But if you still decide to act on your own, at least consult with professionals working in the printing house, or ask them to correct the final file.

Check before submitting

Your design must be in a format that is acceptable to the printer. Typically, files prepared in special programs such as Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign or CorelDraw are accepted. An office package (MS Word, Publisher or Powerpoint) does not apply to them at all.

Check out the requirements for pictures - as a rule, a resolution of at least 300 dpi is required. Otherwise, the images after printing will be of poor quality, “blurry.”

Make sure that the CMYK color scheme is selected (these are the primary colors for printing). By the way, when converting from the RGB color scheme (typical of monitors and cameras), the shades may change somewhat. And if it is important for you to accurately match the color that you imagined, check with the printing house how to achieve this. Spoiler - sometimes you need to sign a test print, and sometimes you need to be present during printing.

Of course, you also need to check for errors in texts and illustrations before sending the document. By the way, the optimal channel for sending a file, especially a large one, should also be discussed in advance. Email is not always suitable for this, the letter may end up in spam, and you will waste time waiting.

Think over a marketing plan

Printing several similar products at the same time is cheaper: they can be placed on one printed sheet and save on preparatory work and materials. These can be business cards and folders made from the same paper, flyers with various offers and other products.

Calculate several cost options for your circulation. There may be a situation where a larger offset run will be cheaper than a smaller number printed digitally.

Select delivery method

On the final stage - when the circulation has already been printed, but not delivered - a failure may also occur. If deadlines are really tight, perhaps the ideal solution would be self-pickup, since it takes a couple of days to hand over to the courier service, which can be decisive.

In any case, partnership with a printing house is a two-way street. Feel free to ask questions and consult. True professionals will always tell you how best to design your product, what printing and finishing to choose, what material - and how to save on all this.